Specs, Lab Tests, and Other Myths

Rob Sherwood's K3 test results have been published. Key strong-signal performance specs include:

• 100 kHz Blocking: 140 dB
• Ultimate Rejection: 105 dB
• Wide-Spaced (20 kHz) Dynamic Range: 104 dB
• Narrow-Spaced (2 kHz) Dynamic Range: 101 dB

All is well in Elecraft-land as the K3 takes the prize over the Flex 5000, IC-7800, Orion II and, well, everything else Sherwood has tested, at least in the Narrow DR category. Predictably many early K3 owners are pumping fists and doing the Happy Dance, and I'm sure there are going to be IC-7800s and Orions on eBay in the coming weeks.

But what does it all really mean? I don't have any overwhelming sense of validation for choosing wisely, nor do I intend to take Rob's receiver tests as liberty to taunt the unfortunate fools who bought the FT-2000 about how much better my K3 is, because frankly they're not unfortunate fools and I'd love to have an FT-2000. Performance is certainly important - no one wants a complete dog - but my ears can't tell the difference between 105 dB dynamic range and 95 dB. If you think you can, then you probably can hear the difference between Monster Cable and Radio Shack speaker wire, too. Bless your heart.

Myriad reasons I picked the K3 without hesitation have already been mentioned in my previous posts. Sure, the claimed (but at that time, unconfirmed) performance was a factor, but equally important were Elecraft's reputation, the K3's feature set, its elegant design, portability, price, the ability to configure it to my needs with just the options I require - all these things are much more subjective than the K3's now-documented performance advantage over all the megabuck rigs. I spent years toying with the idea of a new HF rig (MK V, Pro2, Pro3, FT2K, Omni VII, K2) but never pulled the trigger; when the K3 was announced and I sent in a deposit check within a week. It was preference, not performance, that sold me - the K3 simply has everything I want in a radio at this time.

Having a large radio with a beautiful display might be an important enough preference for some people that they would gladly sacrifice the 21 dB dynamic range advantage (and $6,000+ price difference) of the K3 for the IC-7800. Honestly, if I could afford the '7800, I'm pretty sure there would be one on my desk right now. Maybe an FTDX-9000MP, too. But they would certainly be in addition to - not instead of - the K3.

I'm of the opinion that test specs are useful for marketing purposes, splitting hairs, winning bets, and endowing nitwits with bragging rights, but in most cases specs tell only half (or less) of the story. I'd rather have a radio that has an 85dB dynamic range but is a joy to use, for example, than one with 105 dB DR but also crappy audio quality, drill-down menus for important settings, and a loud fan. A radio is much, much more than the sum of its specs. What makes the Elecraft K3 special is that it delivers on both fronts: performance and usability. Or, as they say on the Elecraft reflector, it's got mojo.